Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Brigham Young University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Christian Colleges in Utah
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Utah
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Utah
- #2 Utah's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Colleges in Utah
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah
- #2 Best Research Universities in Utah
- #3 Most Affordable Graduate Schools
- #5 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #7 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs
- #19 Most Influential Colleges in Golf Today
- #21 Education Research Universities
- #24 The Most Influential Colleges in Football Today
- #37 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
About Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU) was founded in 1875 as the Brigham Young Academy. It is a private, research university owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
In 1903, the academy was divided into two parts, Brigham Young High School and Brigham Young University. Over the course of the twentieth century, BYU gradually acquired the resources and curriculum of a modern research university. By the 1970s, the school had acquired a greatly expanded library, as well as several respected professional schools, including the J. Reuben Clark Law School and the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology.
In 1989, a satellite campus opened in Jerusalem, in Israel.
The student body numbers more than 33,600 individuals. All BYU students must take an oath to live by a strict honor code pertaining both to academics and personal conduct. Although the school is open to persons of all faiths, around 99 percent of students belong to the LDS Church.
Prominent BYU-associated individuals include the following:
- Mathematician, David Bailey
- Computer scientists, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw & Bruce Bastian
- Romance novelist, Stephenie Meyer
- Science fiction novelists, Orson Scott Car & Brandon Sanderson
- Memoirist and essayist, Tara Westover
- Inspirational author and speaker, Stephen Covey
- Actors Jon Heder & Aaron Eckhart
- Comedian, Matthew Meese
- Artist, James C. Christensen
- Violinist, singer, songwriter, and dancer, Lindsey Stirling
- Choral composer, arranger, and director, Mack Wilberg
- Physicist and hearing-aid inventor, Harvey Fletcher
- Inventor and television pioneer, Philo Farnsworth
- Biochemists, Paul D. Boyer (Nobel laureate) & Scott Strobel
- Entomologists, Ralph Chamberlin & Vasco Tanner
- Historians, Mark Choate & Claudia Lauper Bushman
- Biblical scholar, Bradley Ray Wilcox
- Economist, Stephen Cameron
- Economist and business management scholar, Teppo Felin
- Business consultant and author, Clayton M. Christensen
- Former Dell Computers President and CEO, Kevin Rollins
- Former LDS Church President, Thomas Spencer Monson
- Former US Supreme Court Justice, George Sutherland
- Former US Senators, Reed Smoot & Orrin Hatch
- Current US Senators, Mike Crapo & Mike Lee
- 2012 Republican presidential nominee and current US Senator, Mitt Romney
According to Wikipedia, Brigham Young University is a private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .
Brigham Young University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,006 | 68% | 91% | 81% | 1365 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Brigham Young University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $6,888 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,893 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,507 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,268 |
| 75K - 110K | $12,916 |
| 110K+ | $19,162 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Brigham Young University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Brigham Young University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $80,228 a year, and 83% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Brigham Young University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 39,598 | 36,407 | 3,191 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Brigham Young University?
Brigham Young University is located at Main Campus, Provo, UT 84602.
How Safe is Brigham Young University?
Relative to its enrollment, Brigham Young University has a violent crime rate of 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.06%. Provo has a violent crime rate of 0.21% and a property crime rate of 1.28%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Brigham Young University Known For?
Brigham Young University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Business
- History
- Religious Studies
- Law
- Communications
- Literature
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Physics
- Biology
- Medical
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Philosophy
- Nursing
Brigham Young University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Brigham Young University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Brigham Young University ranks #42 in the U.S. and #95 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #50 in the U.S. and #133 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #50 in the U.S. and #203 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #52 in the U.S. and #159 worldwide for influence in Law.
Brigham Young University ranks #54 in the U.S. and #174 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #55 in the U.S. and #147 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #57 in the U.S. and #185 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #61 in the U.S. and #231 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #76 in the U.S. and #262 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #79 in the U.S. and #208 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #86 in the U.S. and #373 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #87 in the U.S. and #324 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #94 in the U.S. and #337 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #98 in the U.S. and #200 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #311 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #105 in the U.S. and #425 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #108 in the U.S. and #358 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #115 in the U.S. and #329 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #122 in the U.S. and #267 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #124 in the U.S. and #459 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #125 in the U.S. and #545 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #132 in the U.S. and #423 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesBrigham Young University ranks #147 in the U.S. and #359 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Brigham Young University's Most Influential Alumni?
Brigham Young University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Business, Criminal Justice, and Religious Studies. Here are some of Brigham Young University's most famous alumni:
- Orson Scott Card
- An American science fiction novelist.
- Philo Farnsworth
- An American inventor.
- Ken Jennings
- An American game show contestant, host, and writer.
- Lyle Campbell
- An American Mesoamericanist.
- Don Bluth
- An American animator.
- Paul D. Boyer
- An American biochemist.
- Wayne C. Booth
- An American academic.
- Dallin H. Oaks
- An Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Mark Skousen
- An American economist, investment analyst, newsletter editor, college professor and author.
- Ezra Taft Benson
- A President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .
- Tracy Hickman
- An American writer and game designer.
- Clayton Christensen
- An American economist .
Who Are Brigham Young University's Most Influential Faculty?
Brigham Young University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Business, Criminal Justice, and Religious Studies. Here are some of Brigham Young University's most famous faculty:
- Brandon Sanderson
- An American fantasy writer.
- David A. Wiley
- An American educator and copyright activist.
- Teppo Felin
- A Finnish academic.
- Andrew S Gibbons
- A .
- Steven C. Harper
- An American academic.
- Kimberly Johnson
- An American poet, scholar.
- Patrick Q. Mason
- A Historian.
- Lars Lefgren
- An American economist.
- Steve Butler
- An American mathematician.
- Eric D. Huntsman
- An American academic.
- David F. Holland
- An American historian and missionary.
- Randal Beard
- An American electrical engineer.
